Piedmont Computer Services

Managed IT Services

Archives for January 2019

How an MSP Protects Your Company Part 3: Advanced Threats

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First, read what a Managed Service Provider is before you take a deeper look into how an MSP protects your company. And here’s Part 2: The Human Element, if you missed it.

Here are the more advanced threats that can harm your company, and why an MSP is your best option.

Malware

According to Google, malware (short for “malicious software”) is software that is intended to damage or disable computers and computer systems. It can include phishing threats, viruses, ransomware, spyware, etc. Back in the day, malware was very simple. Many attacks came from curious hackers who weren’t out to make money but just to see what they could do. Nowadays, with ransomware and other digital money-making opportunities, malware has become exponentially more vicious. As technology rockets forward, so do the cyberthreats. And the more advanced malware gets, the less likely you can fight it on your own.

How an MSP protects you: Think of an MSP as your own digital army. Now your business is protected by consistent monitoring and professionals who can fight those cyber-battles for you. You won’t have to worry about whether or not you’re keeping up with the latest in cybersecurity because your network is protected at all times. Partnering with an MSP takes the worry out of your mind and allows you to focus on your business, not your technology.

Hackers

Hand-in-hand with malware, hackers are the human component behind cyberattacks. Someone has to program that evil bot, right? Now that there’s some serious money to be made in the hacking business, everyone with half a brain is trying to get into it. And with heavy competition like that, it’s a perfect environment to breed rockstar hackers. And the bad news is, the more advanced they get, the more help the average business owner will need to protect themselves.

How an MSP protects you: Just like with malware, having an MSP partner takes the stress off your shoulders. With your network being monitored 24/7, any kind of attack will be spotted before it can do damage. And, even better, your network won’t have the common vulnerabilities that most do. The usual holes that hackers exploit won’t exist in your network, meaning your business flies under the radar of most attacks. Your equipment will be updated, your software will be patched regularly, your network will be solidified, and you can sleep easy at night knowing your company is safe.

How an MSP Protects Your Company Part 2: The Human Element

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If you missed what a Managed Service Provider is, check it out before you take a deeper look into how an MSP protects your company. If you missed Part 1: Hardware and Software, have no fear. You can read it and pop back here.

Now, let’s get into how partnering with an MSP protects you from the human element.

Everyday Criminals

Sometimes, crime revolves around opportunity. If you have an open-door policy at your business, it makes it easy for an everyday criminal to waltz inside. And once inside, they can poke around computers that aren’t locked or secured. All it takes is a couple of minutes, searching on an unattended computer for things like “Financial Records” or “Credit Card.” A crime of opportunity happens in an instant, and that criminal can walk away with a sheet of credit card numbers or bank statements.cyber criminal

How an MSP protects you: MSPs are well-versed in things like simple security, such as requiring all workstations to be secured with individual passwords. Once an MSP has audited your network, they can find where you are most vulnerable, and take the necessary measures to prevent unauthorized use of computers and wireless internet. On top of that, most MSPs can assist your company in becoming PCI compliant, which means all the credit card information you have on file isn’t accessible to the naked eye. So even if someone were able to access a computer at your business, they couldn’t download a sheet with full credit card numbers anyway.

Untrained Employees

You probably hire your employees based on their ability to perform the specific job you listed, right? And I’m sure they do a fine job. But unfortunately, a lot of them don’t come equipped with the right cybersecurity skills. No, we’re not talking about certified technical skills, but the basics of staying safe online. All it would take is Jim in accounts payable clicking on an unsafe link from an email and your sensitive financial information is in the hands of cybercriminals. As humans, we can’t know everything. The good news is, all it takes is a little education and your employees will turn from the weakest link to your strongest asset.

How an MSP Protects You: Some MSPs host either on-site or off-site training classes for employees. They’re basic and simple but make a huge difference in your cybersecurity plan. By simply showing employees how to spot a phishing email or what digital hygiene looks like, they’re less likely to endanger your network. Piedmont Computer Services will host several cybersecurity training events in the near future, and continues to look for new ways to educate businesses in the Union County area.

Vindictive Employees

The dark side of the normal employee is the rare vindictive employee. This employee is the one who had a bad attitude all along and once they were fired, decided to take all their worldly wrath out on the company. Vindictive employees are very dangerous, mainly because they have access to company records. Without the proper off-boarding procedure, vindictive employees may have access for days, months, or even years to the company network. And sometimes, depending on how sour they are, they can delete or modify records before they’re caught.

How an MSP protects you: MSPs have ample experience with the correct onboarding and offboarding procedures, exact times and all. In layman’s terms, this means those new employees have access to what they need the first day they start work, and employees that are fired or laid off have all access removed the moment they’re told. This eliminates the possibility of an angry employee stalking back to their desk, downloading sensitive information, and walking out. Or even going home, logging into their workstation remotely, and destroying information. Utilizing the proper strategy to make sure that never happens is critical to protecting your business.

 

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